North Carolina

Sex ed Rights

North Carolina state law requires sexuality education. Local school boards decide which subjects this education must cover and the grade level in which topics are introduced.

Abstinence (until marriage) must be covered and stressed as the only completely effective protection against unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV/AIDS.

Teaching about contraceptives, such as condoms, the Pill, or the Patch, is required.

Information must be medically accurate and age appropriate.

In North Carolina, schools must teach that having an abortion can cause future miscarriages, even though there is no medical evidence to support the claim. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), having an abortion does not cause or increase the risk for future miscarriages.

In North Carolina schools must teach that a “mutually faithful monogamous heterosexual relationship in the context of marriage is the best lifelong means of avoiding sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.” Think this is discriminatory? Check out the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) website to see how you can help change this policy.

Contraceptives may not be distributed or made available on school property.

North Carolina received $1,585,347 in federal funds for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in Fiscal Year 2010. Think this money could be put to better use? If you want your school to offer a comprehensive sexuality education class in your school then be sure to learn more at SIECUS about your state and check out the Roadmap. You can make a difference!

HIV/AIDS and STDs Education

North Carolina state law requires STDs and HIV/AIDS education.

Abstinence must be covered and stressed as the only completely effective protection against unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV/AIDS when transmitted sexually.

Teaching about contraceptives, such as condoms, the Pill, or the Patch, is required.

Local school boards decide if you need your parents’ permission to participate in sexuality education or HIV/AIDS education classes, and if they can take you out of classes.

Age of Minority

17

You are considered a minor (someone who is not an adult) if you are under 18 years old. This is a legal status that lawmakers created for your protection. We want you to be informed because being a “minor” affects your right to information and services. To learn more, read on!

Keep in mind that these laws may be different for you if you are legally considered an emancipated minor, pregnant minor, minor living apart or married minor. You can learn more by talking to a legal representative at various agencies.

Age of Consent

16

In the eyes of the law, teenagers of certain ages cannot consent or agree to sex until they reach a specific age. This is called the “age of consent.” These laws are meant to protect minors from being manipulated or forced into sex with older people.

Get familiar with these laws, so you and your partner know what is or isn’t legal in your state. Keep in mind that the laws may be different depending on the type of sexual behavior—vaginal, anal or oral—and the gender of your partner.

In North Carolina, you can legally consent to sexual intercourse when you become 16 years old.

LGBTQ Rights

Public schools in your state have no Safe Schools Law in effect, which is a statewide anti-harassment and/or nondiscrimination law that includes the categories of sexual orientation and gender identity. But some school districts have decided to adopt their own Safe Schools policies.

There are statewide anti-bullying laws to protect students based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

There are statewide anti-discrimination laws, but they do not clearly include sexual orientation or gender identity. State hate crimes laws also do not include sexual orientation or gender identity.

If discrimination, harassment, or a hate crime happens to you or someone you know, please call the Gay and Lesbian National Hotline at 1-888-THE-GLNH (843-4564) for help and support, or check out Lambda Legal. No one deserves harassment or should have to put up with it.

HIV / AIDS Testing

You don’t need permission from your parent or guardian to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV, or to consent to treatment.

If you are a minor, it is very important for you to ask questions about confidentiality when you call to make your appointment. Specifically ask, “If I make an appointment and receive any kind of services at your clinic, will you tell my parents or anyone else?” This applies to all services, including testing for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.

To make sure your visit is confidential, tell the clinic staff how to contact you about test results and future appointments without your parents knowing.

Your state offers only confidential HIV testing, not anonymous testing. This means that if you get tested for HIV, your results will be confidentially reported to the health department using your name.

Condoms

Yes, you can buy condoms, and you do not have to be a certain age to buy them. Teens of any age can buy condoms from a drugstore, pharmacy, grocery store, or even online. They are relatively inexpensive. A pack of twelve condoms costs about $12. Female condoms are about $2 to $4 per condom.

You can get condoms for free or at a reduced cost from health clinics (like Planned Parenthood), HIV testing centers, and local health departments. (Call 1-800-230-PLAN (7526) for the nearest Planned Parenthood Health Center.)

If you buy condoms, check the expiration date on the box or the package to make sure that the condoms haven’t expired yet. For information on how to use a condom correctly, check out this FAQ. Find out how to use or buy female condoms here.

Birth Control

All minors are allowed to get a prescription for birth control without a parent’s permission.

If you go to a Title X clinic, your appointment will be completely confidential, including your billing and your records.

Title X clinics provide sexual and reproductive health care to the public (girls, boys, teens and adults). Title X clinics offer many services, including prescriptions for the Pill, pregnancy option counseling, and testing for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.

These clinics charge on a sliding-scale fee basis, and you can pay in cash. If you pay for your visit by using your family’s health insurance, then your parents are likely to see the bill when it arrives in the mail.

To make sure your visit is confidential, tell the clinic staff how to contact you about test results and future appointments without your parents knowing.

If you go to a private doctor or physician, then you need to ask them about their confidentiality rules when you are making the appointment. Ask them when you call:

Can I get services at your office without my parents’ permission?

Can my parent/s have access to my records?

Will my parent/s see the bill?

It is your right to get sexual and reproductive health care where you feel safe and comfortable, so don’t worry about asking these questions if these questions are important to you.

Abortion Rights

If you are under 18 years old and want an abortion, one parent or guardian must give permission before you can get one. This is called “parental consent.” If that’s not possible, you are able to ask a judge for permission, or get special permission if it’s an emergency. This is called “judicial bypass.” In some cases, another adult relative may be able to provide consent for a woman under the age of 18 to obtain an abortion.

There is a 24-hour mandatory waiting period in your state before a teen can get an abortion.

Your state does not provide Medicaid coverage for medically necessary abortions, except in instances of life endangerment to the woman, rape or incest. If you need help paying for an abortion, call the National Abortion Federation Hotline at 1-800-772-9100, Monday–Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time). The hotline can tell you where and how to get financial help for an abortion in the U.S.

Pregnancy

You do not need a prescription from a doctor or health care provider to get a pregnancy test. You can purchase a pregnancy test from a pharmacy, grocery store, or online. They cost between $10 and $18. You can also take a pregnancy test at a doctor’s office or clinic, like Planned Parenthood. Many clinics offer free or reduced-fee pregnancy tests.

All visits to Title X clinics are confidential for teens and adults. They will not share your records with your parents or your family doctor (or anyone else) without your permission.

If you pay for your visit by using your family’s health insurance, then your parents are likely to see the bill when it arrives in the mail. Almost all clinics provide free or sliding-scale fee services to teens in order to make it easier for teens to pay with cash.

To make sure your visit is confidential, tell the clinic staff how to contact you about test results and future appointments without your parents knowing.

Beware of crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). These centers claim to give you complete and accurate information about your pregnancy options when, in reality, their agenda is to discourage you from getting an abortion. They offer misleading and medically inaccurate information about abortion. Common names of these centers are “Crisis Pregnancy Center,” “Pregnancy Aid,” “Birth Right,” “Open Door” or “Pregnancy Counseling Center.”

Emergency Contraception

People of any age can buy Plan B One-Step without a prescription over the counter at a local pharmacy. Next Choice, Next Choice One Dose, My Way and Levonorgestrel are approved for sale without a prescription to those who are 17 and older from a pharmacist. If you are 16 or younger, you will need a prescription for Next Choice, Next Choice One Dose, My Way and Levonorgestrel. The EC pill ella is only available with a prescription regardless of age. Prices may vary for each of these options depending on the brand, the pharmacy and which state you are in.

If you have been raped and you want EC, go to the emergency department of a hospital or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). Open 24 hours, the hotline will connect you to EC providers near you. For other helpful information, check out the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network’s website.

Sexting

There are no laws in North Carolina specifically regarding sexting. However, sexting falls under state child pornography regulations, which state that pictures of a person under 18 engaged in sexual behaviors is a crime. You can learn more at your state’s website.